


Gormiti Love

by finalfanaticgorm



Category: Gormiti
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humour, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 01:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5314445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finalfanaticgorm/pseuds/finalfanaticgorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of unrelated Lucas/Gina and Jessica/Toby cute romantic and friendship oneshots (I will specify whether any of them are related).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A: (Amazing) Lucas/Gina

Description: Shooting stars may be amazing but not as amazing as the wish they granted.

Gina rushed nervously to the Tripp's house where Lucas had told her to meet him. She was wearing a knee-length, forest-green strapless dress with a black belt around her waist. She carried an emerald-green clutch handbag in her right hand whilst her left hand busied itself with her hair which fell to her shoulders in soft curls and was secured by sequinned hair grips.

She reached her destination and knocked on the door. Whilst she waited, she removed her green ballerina pumps and massaged her feet. She inwardly praised her decision not to wear her heels as her feet were already aching.

Jessica answered the door and let out a little squeal when she saw Gina. "Wow, you look amazing!" She then yelled up the stairs, "Lucas, are you ready? Gina's here!"

Gina smiled, stepping gracefully over the threshold and into the warmth. All of a sudden, they heard a thud and a muffled "Ow!"

"Lucas, seriously, I know you want to see your girlfriend but doors do have handles which you're supposed to turn, creating an opening effect." They heard Toby joke.

"Leave him alone, Toby, he's nervous, even though this is their third or fourth date!" Nick joined in, chuckling.

Gina and Jessica started giggling quietly. It sounded as though Lucas had been so eager to see Gina that he had run straight into the door.

"Wow, you look beautiful," a hushed voice said. Gina looked up and saw Lucas who was staring at her as though she was the only person in the world.

"You don't look so bad yourself." she complimented. He was wearing a dark green shirt and black jeans, somehow managing to make casual look handsome.

He walked down the stairs towards her and offered his arm. "A night of wonders await, my Lady." He said, smiling. Gina smiled back; he was quite possibly the sweetest boy she knew.

"Have fun!" Jessica yelled after them as they left. The couple waved in response and Gina called out, "We will!"

"So what's your favourite Disney film?"

Lucas and Gina were sat in a restaurant, eating a delicious meal which Lucas had insisted on paying for, despite Gina's protestations. Secretly, however, she was pleased.

"Bambi," Lucas answered easily. " I love seeing all the woodland creatures, especially Flower. "

"Your favorite character is a skunk!?" Gina asked incredulously, though she couldn't keep the grin off her face. His obsession with the environment was becoming very endearing to her.

"Mine's Pinocchio; I love Jiminy Cricket." Gina smiled. "I suppose we'd better get going." She added sadly. Their date had gone by a lot quicker than she had expected. Lucas nodded and, linking hands, they left the restaurant, having already paid for their meal.

The couple walked down the street when Lucas stopped suddenly and gazed up at the sky. "I used to stargaze all the time when I was a kid," he explained to Gina. "I always got really excited whenever I saw a shooting star. "

Gina smiled reminiscently, having also stargazed in her childhood. For a long time, it was the only thing she would do.

Flashback

As long as Gina could remember, she had wished for a friend. That wish had come true the moment she arrived in Venture Falls and had met Jessica. Now, however, at the age of twelve, she had a very different agenda.

She sat at her window as she did every night without fail and looked for a shooting star, having always believed that her wish was more likely to come true if she wished on a shooting star.

She spotted one, a flash of white streaking across the midnight-black sky, and began to recite the rhyme which had embedded itself into her head from an early age:

"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might. Have the wish I wish tonight." She chanted, squeezing her eyes shut as she made her wish...

End of Flashback

Lucas suddenly grabbed hold of Gina's arm and pointed up into the sky. "It's amazing, isn't it?" He asked ,regarding the sky with awe.

"Yes," Gina agreed, smiling gently. "But it's not as amazing as the wish it granted." Lucas looked curious so she elaborated, "I wished that the one I loved would love me too."

Lucas approached Gina and gently kissed her. When they broke apart, he whispered, "I love you, Gina."

Resting her head against his shoulder, the couple continued to watch the starry sky as Gina replied, "And I love you too, Lucas."


	2. A: (Argument) JessicaxToby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: An argument leads to hidden feelings being confessed.

"So who do you reckon Jessica's going on that date with?" Nick and Lucas both inwardly groaned. Toby had been asking the same question for the past fifteen minutes and, to be quite frank, they were both starting to get rather annoyed.

"For the last time, we don't know!" Nick all but shouted at his brother, his patience finally snapping. Toby stared at his brother and, to their great relief, stopped his constant questioning.

"Hey, guys!" Jessica said cheerfully, sitting down next to Toby. She looked at them curiously. "What were you talking about?" She added, regarding them all with suspicion.

Lucas and Nick both frantically shook their heads at Toby, silently warning him not to say anything but he ignored them and asked, "Who are you going on that date with?"

Jessica reached for a piece of paper and at first, chose not to reply. When she saw Lucas and Nick's faces, however, she sighed and said, "Well, not that it's any of your business, but I'm going with Nate Roberts."

There was a stunned pause before all three boys yelled, "What?" Nate Roberts, who had floppy brown hair, sparkling green eyes and a cheeky smile, was the second-most popular boy in their year. He had a reputation for dating girls, making them think he liked them before humiliating them in front of the entire school. Everyone knew that, which was why Nick, Toby and Lucas had reacted so badly.

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you?" She asked, frowning. She hadn't expected them to have such an extreme reaction but she also hadn't expected them to be over the moon either.

Toby looked at her incredulously, "Surely you know what he's like?" He asked, Nick and Lucas nodding in agreement. "You must remember Amy Fisher."

Amy Fisher had been one of Nate's girlfriends but, after he humiliated her which led to her being bullied on a regular basis, she moved to Canada along with her family. This had been a similar fate for lots of other girls who had been taken in by his charm and good looks.

"Things have changed since then!" Jessica insisted stubbornly. "He's different now and he actually cares about me!" She got up and moved to sit next to Nate.

Toby watched her go before muttering, "Sure he does," under his breath. He then proceeded to glare at Nate, his expression stormy.

"What's his problem?" Nate asked Jessica as she sat down, jerking his head towards Toby. Jessica looked over and saw him glaring relentlessly at Nate.

" Just Toby being Toby," she sighed before turning back to Nate and adding, "So what time are we meeting again?"

Nate smiled at her, "Four o'clock at my house."

Jessica nodded and got up as the bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson. There was a sudden rush as everyone in the classroom fought to get out for lunch. She smiled at Nate before hurrying to catch up with Toby, Nick and Lucas.

" Hey, Jess!" Lucas greeted, Nick smiled at her and Toby merely nodded. She smiled back at them and sat down, picking nervously at her food. "Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know," she admitted, before dropping her fork. She disappeared under the table to retrieve it and emerged red in the face. "I guess I'm a little nervous; this is my first date after all. I just want it to be perfect."

Toby opened his mouth to say something but Nick, fearing that it might set off another round of bickering, swiftly kicked him under the table. Eyes watering, he glared at his younger brother who gave him an almost unnoticeable headshake.

"You guys coming up to next lesson?" Jessica asked, having finished her lunch. They had History in ten minutes for their final lesson of the day.

"We'll be there in five minutes," Nick replied. "Go on up and we'll meet you there." As soon as Jessica had left, he turned to Toby and asked, "Seriously, what is your problem? Can't you at least try to be happy for her?"

"Yeah sure," Toby snapped sarcastically. "I'm thrilled that she's going on a date with a guy who gets his kicks from breaking girls' hearts. People like him never change. So yes, I'm pleased that she's making what I'd call the biggest mistake of her life!" It was the most he had spoken all lunchtime. "Anyway," he added quietly. "We'd better get to History before we're late. I don't think I can take another lecture from Mr Smith for tardiness."

In the lesson, Toby sat absorbed in his own thoughts. He was annoyed with Jessica because she was naive enough to believe that Nate had changed. He was frustrated with Nick and Lucas because they had completely dismissed his opinion at lunchtime completely, telling him that he was worrying for nothing. Most of all, however, he was mad at Nate because-. Well, to tell the truth, he wasn't quite sure why he was mad at Nate. He figured it was because Jessica was his best friend but that made him sound jealous and he definitely wasn't jealous. No way.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by someone incessantly tapping on his shoulder. Nick and everyone else in the classroom was staring at him. Mr Smith cleared his throat and turned to address them.

"Well, now that you've decided to grace us with your presence, Mr Tripp, perhaps you'd like to tell us the names of Henry VIII's wives and what their fates were?"

Toby sighed with relief. It was lucky for him that he actually knew the answers to this question, thanks to his mother having drilled the rhyme into his and Nick's heads when they were younger.

"He divorced Catherine of Aragon because she had a daughter, Mary I, and he wanted a son to rule as king after he died. He had Anne Boleyn beheaded after accusing her of being a witch as she also gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth I. Jane Seymour died after giving birth to Edward VI. He divorced Anne of Cleves because she didn't look very attractive, he said that she resembled a horse. Catherine Howard, who was only nineteen, was beheaded for flirting with other men. Finally, Catherine Parr survived because Henry died before her, aged 55, and she went on to marry Thomas Seymour."

Mr Smith nodded, satisfied with the response and ordered the class to pack away their things as it was almost the end of the lesson. The bell rang and when he announced, "Class dismissed!," the students all left.

The four friends walked home together as usual. Jessica felt more nervous than ever. She turned to the others as they approached her street. "Well, bye guys," she said as she prepared to go to her own house to get ready for her date.

Lucas and Nick both wished her luck and invited her over once she was free. Toby didn't say anything, hurting Jessica's feelings a little but she tried not to show it. She hadn't been able to keep the sad look off her face for long enough as Lucas and Nick both noticed it. After she left, Nick demanded, "Okay, Toby, what is wrong with you? I know you don't like Nate but this is starting to go a bit far. You really hurt Jessica's feelings just then."

Toby turned and grabbed Nick by the collar frustratedly, responding angrily. "Do you know what, Nick? I don't know what's wrong with me! Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that my best friend is going to get her heart broken because he doesn't care about her! I don't trust him; you may have all convinced yourselves that he's changed but I can see past his charm and good looks! He doesn't deserve Jessica and she definitely doesn't deserve him!" His sudden burst of anger slowly ebbed away and he said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry about it, Toby," Lucas interrupted. "If anything happens to Jessica, we'll make Nate pay for it, right?" The brothers both nodded. "Alright then, now let's get home, I'm starved!" The three boys raced toward the Tripp's house, their worries momentarily forgotten.

Jessica sat across from Nate in the posh restaurant. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder knee-length pale blue dress, which had sequins around the waist. She had her blonde hair up in an elegant updo, complimented by a blue butterfly hairclip.

The conversation between them was rather stilted at first. They talked about what they liked and didn't like, what they wanted to be, etc. "So what do your parents do?" Nate asked, smiling charmingly at her.

A little flustered, Jessica stuttered, "W-Well, my dad's an architect a-and my mom is a midwife." She silently cursed herself for sounding so stupid in front of him. She managed to clear her head as she asked, "What do your parents do?"

Nate responded easily, "My dad is head of a massive engineering firm and my mom is Chief Sergeant of the local police force. They technically don't need to work because they both inherited millions from their parents but my mom was raised to believe that you have to earn your money so she got a job and convinced my dad to get one too so he'd understand her ethic."

Jessica nodded and smiled. Nate cleared his throat and stood up, "Well, I have one final suprise for you." He laid a twenty dollar bill on the table and waved the waiter over. After they'd paid, they left the restaurant, Jessica wondering what else he could have in store.

The two of them walked down the street toward what looked like the park. Nate turned a corner and went in the opposite direction toward the hills that overlooked it. They both walked up the path on the hill until they found a bench to sit on. Jessica gasped as she looked around her. The scenery looked so beautiful with the glowing red of the sunset accentuating each and every part of it.

Nate smiled at her, "Well, what do you think?" He asked, not sounding nervous at all. Jessica gulped as he approached her, his green eyes fixed intently on her, waiting for her response.

"I-I love it. It's amazing!" She stammered, a little uncomfortable with the fact that he was moving closer toward her.

Nate continued to move toward Jessica until there was only a small space between them. "This has been a great night. I really enjoyed it." He told her, before leaning in and kissing her. Jessica, confused by what was happening, allowed him to kiss her before gently prising herself out of his embrace. He smiled at her, not noticing the frown on her face. "Would you like to do this again sometime?"

Jessica looked at him in alarm. "I-I'll think about it. B-Bye, and thanks for the meal and everything." She said before leaving as quickly as possible. She felt very conflicted; he was a nice guy but she hadn't felt anything at all when he'd kissed her. Nothing, not even a single spark. Not that she believed in true love, mind you.

She arrived at the Tripp's house and let herself in, upon seeing that the door was unlocked and the car was nowhere in sight. As she entered the living room, she was slightly dismayed to see that Toby was the only one there. "So how did it go?" He asked, sounding as though he couldn't have cared less.

"I doubt that you actually care but it went really well." Jessica told him, trying to keep her voice as mild as possible. "In fact, he asked me out-"

"What?" Toby interrupted incredulously. "Please tell me you didn't say yes."

"No, I said I'd think about it." Jessica responded, frowning. "Anyway it's none of your business whether I go out with him or not!"

"You can't seriously have deluded yourself into thinking he actually cares about you!" Their voices were starting to get louder and louder.

"Well, maybe he does care about me!" Jessica yelled, sounding close to tears. "Anyway why do you care so much anyway?"

Toby turned around and yelled, "Because I love you, you-" He trailed off awkwardly as Nick and Lucas walked. His confession had shocked them both into a temporary silence.

"What's with all the yelling?" They asked together.

"Y-You love me?" Jessica asked Toby who nodded numbly in response. "Yeah, right! This is probably another one of your jokes and it really isn't funny!" She gulped as Toby approached her slowly, his hand reaching for her arm. She tried to dart out of his reach but he was too fast for her.

"Well, if you think I'm joking, I may as well take advantage of it," he murmured before cupping her face in his hands and kissing her.

Jessica was now more confused than ever. Unlike Nate's kiss, Toby's kiss awakened feelings in her that she had tried to hide for years. She figured that part of the reason she had been so determined to make things work with Nate is that it would make it easier for her to hide her growing feelings for Toby. It hadn't worked though. As soon as his lips had met hers, she felt all the sparks that she hadn't felt with Nate.

Eventually they broke apart and Toby said, "Do you think I'm joking now?" He then walked away. Nick and Lucas watched Jessica carefully as she approached Toby, who was expecting her to hit him or yell at him. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for her to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him with equal passion. He responded with such enthusiasm that he practically lifted her off her feet.

"I don't understand those two sometimes," Lucas told Nick, shaking his head. "One minute they're at each other's throats, the next they're kissing like the argument never happened!" Nick laughed loudly, causing Toby and Jessica to jump apart, as they realised where they were.

"I have to tell you something," Jessica told Toby who gave her his undivided attention. "The reason I went on that date with Nate was to hide the fact that I'd fallen for you. I didn't-"

"You didn't know I'd fallen for you." Toby said softly, holding her in his arms. Jessica rested her head against him, feeling as though she belonged there and always had.

"What are you going to tell Nate?" Nick asked curiously.

Jessica frowned. She hadn't thought about that at all. However Toby had an answer, "Easy! Just tell him you've found someone better! Tell him you've had some time to think and you really don't feel the same way." She looked at him, smiled and nodded as he hugged her.

"By the way," he asked, smiling at her. "I know this is probably the wrong time to ask but will you-"

"Yes!" She said enthusiastically, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back and saw Lucas and Nick exchange grins.

"Yeah! Woohoo!" They cheered. Finally, after years of what they had believed to be unrequited love, they knew of   
"So who do you reckon Jessica's going on that date with?" Nick and Lucas both inwardly groaned. Toby had been asking the same question for the past fifteen minutes and, to be quite frank, they were both starting to get rather annoyed.

"For the last time, we don't know!" Nick all but shouted at his brother, his patience finally snapping. Toby stared at his brother and, to their great relief, stopped his constant questioning.

"Hey, guys!" Jessica said cheerfully, sitting down next to Toby. She looked at them curiously. "What were you talking about?" She added, regarding them all with suspicion.

Lucas and Nick both frantically shook their heads at Toby, silently warning him not to say anything but he ignored them and asked, "Who are you going on that date with?"

Jessica reached for a piece of paper and at first, chose not to reply. When she saw Lucas and Nick's faces, however, she sighed and said, "Well, not that it's any of your business, but I'm going with Nate Roberts."

There was a stunned pause before all three boys yelled, "What?" Nate Roberts, who had floppy brown hair, sparkling green eyes and a cheeky smile, was the second-most popular boy in their year. He had a reputation for dating girls, making them think he liked them before humiliating them in front of the entire school. Everyone knew that, which was why Nick, Toby and Lucas had reacted so badly.

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you?" She asked, frowning. She hadn't expected them to have such an extreme reaction but she also hadn't expected them to be over the moon either.

Toby looked at her incredulously, "Surely you know what he's like?" He asked, Nick and Lucas nodding in agreement. "You must remember Amy Fisher."

Amy Fisher had been one of Nate's girlfriends but, after he humiliated her which led to her being bullied on a regular basis, she moved to Canada along with her family. This had been a similar fate for lots of other girls who had been taken in by his charm and good looks.

"Things have changed since then!" Jessica insisted stubbornly. "He's different now and he actually cares about me!" She got up and moved to sit next to Nate.

Toby watched her go before muttering, "Sure he does," under his breath. He then proceeded to glare at Nate, his expression stormy.

"What's his problem?" Nate asked Jessica as she sat down, jerking his head towards Toby. Jessica looked over and saw him glaring relentlessly at Nate.

" Just Toby being Toby," she sighed before turning back to Nate and adding, "So what time are we meeting again?"

Nate smiled at her, "Four o'clock at my house."

Jessica nodded and got up as the bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson. There was a sudden rush as everyone in the classroom fought to get out for lunch. She smiled at Nate before hurrying to catch up with Toby, Nick and Lucas.

" Hey, Jess!" Lucas greeted, Nick smiled at her and Toby merely nodded. She smiled back at them and sat down, picking nervously at her food. "Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know," she admitted, before dropping her fork. She disappeared under the table to retrieve it and emerged red in the face. "I guess I'm a little nervous; this is my first date after all. I just want it to be perfect."

Toby opened his mouth to say something but Nick, fearing that it might set off another round of bickering, swiftly kicked him under the table. Eyes watering, he glared at his younger brother who gave him an almost unnoticeable headshake.

"You guys coming up to next lesson?" Jessica asked, having finished her lunch. They had History in ten minutes for their final lesson of the day.

"We'll be there in five minutes," Nick replied. "Go on up and we'll meet you there." As soon as Jessica had left, he turned to Toby and asked, "Seriously, what is your problem? Can't you at least try to be happy for her?"

"Yeah sure," Toby snapped sarcastically. "I'm thrilled that she's going on a date with a guy who gets his kicks from breaking girls' hearts. People like him never change. So yes, I'm pleased that she's making what I'd call the biggest mistake of her life!" It was the most he had spoken all lunchtime. "Anyway," he added quietly. "We'd better get to History before we're late. I don't think I can take another lecture from Mr Smith for tardiness."

In the lesson, Toby sat absorbed in his own thoughts. He was annoyed with Jessica because she was naive enough to believe that Nate had changed. He was frustrated with Nick and Lucas because they had completely dismissed his opinion at lunchtime completely, telling him that he was worrying for nothing. Most of all, however, he was mad at Nate because-. Well, to tell the truth, he wasn't quite sure why he was mad at Nate. He figured it was because Jessica was his best friend but that made him sound jealous and he definitely wasn't jealous. No way.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by someone incessantly tapping on his shoulder. Nick and everyone else in the classroom was staring at him. Mr Smith cleared his throat and turned to address them.

"Well, now that you've decided to grace us with your presence, Mr Tripp, perhaps you'd like to tell us the names of Henry VIII's wives and what their fates were?"

Toby sighed with relief. It was lucky for him that he actually knew the answers to this question, thanks to his mother having drilled the rhyme into his and Nick's heads when they were younger.

"He divorced Catherine of Aragon because she had a daughter, Mary I, and he wanted a son to rule as king after he died. He had Anne Boleyn beheaded after accusing her of being a witch as she also gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth I. Jane Seymour died after giving birth to Edward VI. He divorced Anne of Cleves because she didn't look very attractive, he said that she resembled a horse. Catherine Howard, who was only nineteen, was beheaded for flirting with other men. Finally, Catherine Parr survived because Henry died before her, aged 55, and she went on to marry Thomas Seymour."

Mr Smith nodded, satisfied with the response and ordered the class to pack away their things as it was almost the end of the lesson. The bell rang and when he announced, "Class dismissed!," the students all left.

The four friends walked home together as usual. Jessica felt more nervous than ever. She turned to the others as they approached her street. "Well, bye guys," she said as she prepared to go to her own house to get ready for her date.

Lucas and Nick both wished her luck and invited her over once she was free. Toby didn't say anything, hurting Jessica's feelings a little but she tried not to show it. She hadn't been able to keep the sad look off her face for long enough as Lucas and Nick both noticed it. After she left, Nick demanded, "Okay, Toby, what is wrong with you? I know you don't like Nate but this is starting to go a bit far. You really hurt Jessica's feelings just then."

Toby turned and grabbed Nick by the collar frustratedly, responding angrily. "Do you know what, Nick? I don't know what's wrong with me! Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that my best friend is going to get her heart broken because he doesn't care about her! I don't trust him; you may have all convinced yourselves that he's changed but I can see past his charm and good looks! He doesn't deserve Jessica and she definitely doesn't deserve him!" His sudden burst of anger slowly ebbed away and he said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry about it, Toby," Lucas interrupted. "If anything happens to Jessica, we'll make Nate pay for it, right?" The brothers both nodded. "Alright then, now let's get home, I'm starved!" The three boys raced toward the Tripp's house, their worries momentarily forgotten.

Jessica sat across from Nate in the posh restaurant. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder knee-length pale blue dress, which had sequins around the waist. She had her blonde hair up in an elegant updo, complimented by a blue butterfly hairclip.

The conversation between them was rather stilted at first. They talked about what they liked and didn't like, what they wanted to be, etc. "So what do your parents do?" Nate asked, smiling charmingly at her.

A little flustered, Jessica stuttered, "W-Well, my dad's an architect a-and my mom is a midwife." She silently cursed herself for sounding so stupid in front of him. She managed to clear her head as she asked, "What do your parents do?"

Nate responded easily, "My dad is head of a massive engineering firm and my mom is Chief Sergeant of the local police force. They technically don't need to work because they both inherited millions from their parents but my mom was raised to believe that you have to earn your money so she got a job and convinced my dad to get one too so he'd understand her ethic."

Jessica nodded and smiled. Nate cleared his throat and stood up, "Well, I have one final suprise for you." He laid a twenty dollar bill on the table and waved the waiter over. After they'd paid, they left the restaurant, Jessica wondering what else he could have in store.

The two of them walked down the street toward what looked like the park. Nate turned a corner and went in the opposite direction toward the hills that overlooked it. They both walked up the path on the hill until they found a bench to sit on. Jessica gasped as she looked around her. The scenery looked so beautiful with the glowing red of the sunset accentuating each and every part of it.

Nate smiled at her, "Well, what do you think?" He asked, not sounding nervous at all. Jessica gulped as he approached her, his green eyes fixed intently on her, waiting for her response.

"I-I love it. It's amazing!" She stammered, a little uncomfortable with the fact that he was moving closer toward her.

Nate continued to move toward Jessica until there was only a small space between them. "This has been a great night. I really enjoyed it." He told her, before leaning in and kissing her. Jessica, confused by what was happening, allowed him to kiss her before gently prising herself out of his embrace. He smiled at her, not noticing the frown on her face. "Would you like to do this again sometime?"

Jessica looked at him in alarm. "I-I'll think about it. B-Bye, and thanks for the meal and everything." She said before leaving as quickly as possible. She felt very conflicted; he was a nice guy but she hadn't felt anything at all when he'd kissed her. Nothing, not even a single spark. Not that she believed in true love, mind you.

She arrived at the Tripp's house and let herself in, upon seeing that the door was unlocked and the car was nowhere in sight. As she entered the living room, she was slightly dismayed to see that Toby was the only one there. "So how did it go?" He asked, sounding as though he couldn't have cared less.

"I doubt that you actually care but it went really well." Jessica told him, trying to keep her voice as mild as possible. "In fact, he asked me out-"

"What?" Toby interrupted incredulously. "Please tell me you didn't say yes."

"No, I said I'd think about it." Jessica responded, frowning. "Anyway it's none of your business whether I go out with him or not!"

"You can't seriously have deluded yourself into thinking he actually cares about you!" Their voices were starting to get louder and louder.

"Well, maybe he does care about me!" Jessica yelled, sounding close to tears. "Anyway why do you care so much anyway?"

Toby turned around and yelled, "Because I love you, you-" He trailed off awkwardly as Nick and Lucas walked. His confession had shocked them both into a temporary silence.

"What's with all the yelling?" They asked together.

"Y-You love me?" Jessica asked Toby who nodded numbly in response. "Yeah, right! This is probably another one of your jokes and it really isn't funny!" She gulped as Toby approached her slowly, his hand reaching for her arm. She tried to dart out of his reach but he was too fast for her.

"Well, if you think I'm joking, I may as well take advantage of it," he murmured before cupping her face in his hands and kissing her.

Jessica was now more confused than ever. Unlike Nate's kiss, Toby's kiss awakened feelings in her that she had tried to hide for years. She figured that part of the reason she had been so determined to make things work with Nate is that it would make it easier for her to hide her growing feelings for Toby. It hadn't worked though. As soon as his lips had met hers, she felt all the sparks that she hadn't felt with Nate.

Eventually they broke apart and Toby said, "Do you think I'm joking now?" He then walked away. Nick and Lucas watched Jessica carefully as she approached Toby, who was expecting her to hit him or yell at him. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for her to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him with equal passion. He responded with such enthusiasm that he practically lifted her off her feet.

"I don't understand those two sometimes," Lucas told Nick, shaking his head. "One minute they're at each other's throats, the next they're kissing like the argument never happened!" Nick laughed loudly, causing Toby and Jessica to jump apart, as they realised where they were.

"I have to tell you something," Jessica told Toby who gave her his undivided attention. "The reason I went on that date with Nate was to hide the fact that I'd fallen for you. I didn't-"

"You didn't know I'd fallen for you." Toby said softly, holding her in his arms. Jessica rested her head against him, feeling as though she belonged there and always had.

"What are you going to tell Nate?" Nick asked curiously.

Jessica frowned. She hadn't thought about that at all. However Toby had an answer, "Easy! Just tell him you've found someone better! Tell him you've had some time to think and you really don't feel the same way." She looked at him, smiled and nodded as he hugged her.

"By the way," he asked, smiling at her. "I know this is probably the wrong time to ask but will you-"

"Yes!" She said enthusiastically, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back and saw Lucas and Nick exchange grins.

"Yeah! Woohoo!" They cheered. Finally, after years of what they had believed to be unrequited love, the  
"So who do you reckon Jessica's going on that date with?" Nick and Lucas both inwardly groaned. Toby had been asking the same question for the past fifteen minutes and, to be quite frank, they were both starting to get rather annoyed.

"For the last time, we don't know!" Nick all but shouted at his brother, his patience finally snapping. Toby stared at his brother and, to their great relief, stopped his constant questioning.

"Hey, guys!" Jessica said cheerfully, sitting down next to Toby. She looked at them curiously. "What were you talking about?" She added, regarding them all with suspicion.

Lucas and Nick both frantically shook their heads at Toby, silently warning him not to say anything but he ignored them and asked, "Who are you going on that date with?"

Jessica reached for a piece of paper and at first, chose not to reply. When she saw Lucas and Nick's faces, however, she sighed and said, "Well, not that it's any of your business, but I'm going with Nate Roberts."

There was a stunned pause before all three boys yelled, "What?" Nate Roberts, who had floppy brown hair, sparkling green eyes and a cheeky smile, was the second-most popular boy in their year. He had a reputation for dating girls, making them think he liked them before humiliating them in front of the entire school. Everyone knew that, which was why Nick, Toby and Lucas had reacted so badly.

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you?" She asked, frowning. She hadn't expected them to have such an extreme reaction but she also hadn't expected them to be over the moon either.

Toby looked at her incredulously, "Surely you know what he's like?" He asked, Nick and Lucas nodding in agreement. "You must remember Amy Fisher."

Amy Fisher had been one of Nate's girlfriends but, after he humiliated her which led to her being bullied on a regular basis, she moved to Canada along with her family. This had been a similar fate for lots of other girls who had been taken in by his charm and good looks.

"Things have changed since then!" Jessica insisted stubbornly. "He's different now and he actually cares about me!" She got up and moved to sit next to Nate.

Toby watched her go before muttering, "Sure he does," under his breath. He then proceeded to glare at Nate, his expression stormy.

"What's his problem?" Nate asked Jessica as she sat down, jerking his head towards Toby. Jessica looked over and saw him glaring relentlessly at Nate.

" Just Toby being Toby," she sighed before turning back to Nate and adding, "So what time are we meeting again?"

Nate smiled at her, "Four o'clock at my house."

Jessica nodded and got up as the bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson. There was a sudden rush as everyone in the classroom fought to get out for lunch. She smiled at Nate before hurrying to catch up with Toby, Nick and Lucas.

" Hey, Jess!" Lucas greeted, Nick smiled at her and Toby merely nodded. She smiled back at them and sat down, picking nervously at her food. "Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know," she admitted, before dropping her fork. She disappeared under the table to retrieve it and emerged red in the face. "I guess I'm a little nervous; this is my first date after all. I just want it to be perfect."

Toby opened his mouth to say something but Nick, fearing that it might set off another round of bickering, swiftly kicked him under the table. Eyes watering, he glared at his younger brother who gave him an almost unnoticeable headshake.

"You guys coming up to next lesson?" Jessica asked, having finished her lunch. They had History in ten minutes for their final lesson of the day.

"We'll be there in five minutes," Nick replied. "Go on up and we'll meet you there." As soon as Jessica had left, he turned to Toby and asked, "Seriously, what is your problem? Can't you at least try to be happy for her?"

"Yeah sure," Toby snapped sarcastically. "I'm thrilled that she's going on a date with a guy who gets his kicks from breaking girls' hearts. People like him never change. So yes, I'm pleased that she's making what I'd call the biggest mistake of her life!" It was the most he had spoken all lunchtime. "Anyway," he added quietly. "We'd better get to History before we're late. I don't think I can take another lecture from Mr Smith for tardiness."

In the lesson, Toby sat absorbed in his own thoughts. He was annoyed with Jessica because she was naive enough to believe that Nate had changed. He was frustrated with Nick and Lucas because they had completely dismissed his opinion at lunchtime completely, telling him that he was worrying for nothing. Most of all, however, he was mad at Nate because-. Well, to tell the truth, he wasn't quite sure why he was mad at Nate. He figured it was because Jessica was his best friend but that made him sound jealous and he definitely wasn't jealous. No way.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by someone incessantly tapping on his shoulder. Nick and everyone else in the classroom was staring at him. Mr Smith cleared his throat and turned to address them.

"Well, now that you've decided to grace us with your presence, Mr Tripp, perhaps you'd like to tell us the names of Henry VIII's wives and what their fates were?"

Toby sighed with relief. It was lucky for him that he actually knew the answers to this question, thanks to his mother having drilled the rhyme into his and Nick's heads when they were younger.

"He divorced Catherine of Aragon because she had a daughter, Mary I, and he wanted a son to rule as king after he died. He had Anne Boleyn beheaded after accusing her of being a witch as she also gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth I. Jane Seymour died after giving birth to Edward VI. He divorced Anne of Cleves because she didn't look very attractive, he said that she resembled a horse. Catherine Howard, who was only nineteen, was beheaded for flirting with other men. Finally, Catherine Parr survived because Henry died before her, aged 55, and she went on to marry Thomas Seymour."

Mr Smith nodded, satisfied with the response and ordered the class to pack away their things as it was almost the end of the lesson. The bell rang and when he announced, "Class dismissed!," the students all left.

The four friends walked home together as usual. Jessica felt more nervous than ever. She turned to the others as they approached her street. "Well, bye guys," she said as she prepared to go to her own house to get ready for her date.

Lucas and Nick both wished her luck and invited her over once she was free. Toby didn't say anything, hurting Jessica's feelings a little but she tried not to show it. She hadn't been able to keep the sad look off her face for long enough as Lucas and Nick both noticed it. After she left, Nick demanded, "Okay, Toby, what is wrong with you? I know you don't like Nate but this is starting to go a bit far. You really hurt Jessica's feelings just then."

Toby turned and grabbed Nick by the collar frustratedly, responding angrily. "Do you know what, Nick? I don't know what's wrong with me! Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that my best friend is going to get her heart broken because he doesn't care about her! I don't trust him; you may have all convinced yourselves that he's changed but I can see past his charm and good looks! He doesn't deserve Jessica and she definitely doesn't deserve him!" His sudden burst of anger slowly ebbed away and he said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry about it, Toby," Lucas interrupted. "If anything happens to Jessica, we'll make Nate pay for it, right?" The brothers both nodded. "Alright then, now let's get home, I'm starved!" The three boys raced toward the Tripp's house, their worries momentarily forgotten.

Jessica sat across from Nate in the posh restaurant. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder knee-length pale blue dress, which had sequins around the waist. She had her blonde hair up in an elegant updo, complimented by a blue butterfly hairclip.

The conversation between them was rather stilted at first. They talked about what they liked and didn't like, what they wanted to be, etc. "So what do your parents do?" Nate asked, smiling charmingly at her.

A little flustered, Jessica stuttered, "W-Well, my dad's an architect a-and my mom is a midwife." She silently cursed herself for sounding so stupid in front of him. She managed to clear her head as she asked, "What do your parents do?"

Nate responded easily, "My dad is head of a massive engineering firm and my mom is Chief Sergeant of the local police force. They technically don't need to work because they both inherited millions from their parents but my mom was raised to believe that you have to earn your money so she got a job and convinced my dad to get one too so he'd understand her ethic."

Jessica nodded and smiled. Nate cleared his throat and stood up, "Well, I have one final suprise for you." He laid a twenty dollar bill on the table and waved the waiter over. After they'd paid, they left the restaurant, Jessica wondering what else he could have in store.

The two of them walked down the street toward what looked like the park. Nate turned a corner and went in the opposite direction toward the hills that overlooked it. They both walked up the path on the hill until they found a bench to sit on. Jessica gasped as she looked around her. The scenery looked so beautiful with the glowing red of the sunset accentuating each and every part of it.

Nate smiled at her, "Well, what do you think?" He asked, not sounding nervous at all. Jessica gulped as he approached her, his green eyes fixed intently on her, waiting for her response.

"I-I love it. It's amazing!" She stammered, a little uncomfortable with the fact that he was moving closer toward her.

Nate continued to move toward Jessica until there was only a small space between them. "This has been a great night. I really enjoyed it." He told her, before leaning in and kissing her. Jessica, confused by what was happening, allowed him to kiss her before gently prising herself out of his embrace. He smiled at her, not noticing the frown on her face. "Would you like to do this again sometime?"

Jessica looked at him in alarm. "I-I'll think about it. B-Bye, and thanks for the meal and everything." She said before leaving as quickly as possible. She felt very conflicted; he was a nice guy but she hadn't felt anything at all when he'd kissed her. Nothing, not even a single spark. Not that she believed in true love, mind you.

She arrived at the Tripp's house and let herself in, upon seeing that the door was unlocked and the car was nowhere in sight. As she entered the living room, she was slightly dismayed to see that Toby was the only one there. "So how did it go?" He asked, sounding as though he couldn't have cared less.

"I doubt that you actually care but it went really well." Jessica told him, trying to keep her voice as mild as possible. "In fact, he asked me out-"

"What?" Toby interrupted incredulously. "Please tell me you didn't say yes."

"No, I said I'd think about it." Jessica responded, frowning. "Anyway it's none of your business whether I go out with him or not!"

"You can't seriously have deluded yourself into thinking he actually cares about you!" Their voices were starting to get louder and louder.

"Well, maybe he does care about me!" Jessica yelled, sounding close to tears. "Why do you care so much anyway?"

Toby turned around and yelled, "Because I love you, you-" He trailed off awkwardly as Nick and Lucas walked. His confession had shocked them both into a temporary silence.

"What's with all the yelling?" They asked together.

"Y-You love me?" Jessica asked Toby who nodded numbly in response. "Yeah, right! This is probably another one of your jokes and it really isn't funny!" She gulped as Toby approached her slowly, his hand reaching for her arm. She tried to dart out of his reach but he was too fast for her.

"Well, if you think I'm joking, I may as well take advantage of it," he murmured before cupping her face in his hands and kissing her.

Jessica was now more confused than ever. Unlike Nate's kiss, Toby's kiss awakened feelings in her that she had tried to hide for years. She figured that part of the reason she had been so determined to make things work with Nate is that it would make it easier for her to hide her growing feelings for Toby. It hadn't worked though. As soon as his lips had met hers, she felt all the sparks that she hadn't felt with Nate.

Eventually they broke apart and Toby said, "Do you think I'm joking now?" He then walked away. Nick and Lucas watched Jessica carefully as she approached Toby, who was expecting her to hit him or yell at him. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for her to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him with equal passion. He responded with such enthusiasm that he practically lifted her off her feet.

"I don't understand those two sometimes," Lucas told Nick, shaking his head. "One minute they're at each other's throats, the next they're kissing like the argument never happened!" Nick laughed loudly, causing Toby and Jessica to jump apart, as they realised where they were.

"I have to tell you something," Jessica told Toby who gave her his undivided attention. "The reason I went on that date with Nate was to hide the fact that I'd fallen for you. I didn't-"

"You didn't know I'd fallen for you." Toby said softly, holding her in his arms. Jessica rested her head against him, feeling as though she belonged there and always had.

"What are you going to tell Nate?" Nick asked curiously.

Jessica frowned. She hadn't thought about that at all. However Toby had an answer, "Easy! Just tell him you've found someone better! Tell him you've had some time to think and you really don't feel the same way." She looked at him, smiled and nodded as he hugged her.

"By the way," he asked, smiling at her. "I know this is probably the wrong time to ask but will you-"

"Yes!" She said enthusiastically, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back and saw Lucas and Nick exchange grins.

"Yeah! Woohoo!" They cheered. Finally, after years of what they had believed to be unrequited love, the two knew of each other's feelings and over time, that love would only strengthen.

"Who'd have thought all that would come from an argument?" Lucas asked, causing them all to laugh heartily.  
.


	3. B: (Babysitting) LucasxGina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas and Gina find themselves having a conversation about babies and end up being asked to babysit Tori. Needless to say, havoc ensues.

"Had you thought about, you know, having kids someday?"

The question took Lucas completely by suprise. Sure, he wanted kids but it was a terrifying prospect-becoming a parent. "Yeah, one day, but don't you think it's a little early?"

Gina crossed her arms and stared at her husband. "No, I don't," she said quietly. "Remember how many times Toby and Jessica had to try before they ended up with Tori?"

As a matter of fact, Lucas did remember. That had been a year or so of heartbreak and tears. Now they had their daughter, who, come to think of it, Lucas was pretty sure was almost a year old. He felt bad, not knowing the exact age of his own goddaughter but he was sure she wouldn't mind.

"I can't believe she's nearly a year old already!" Gina gushes excitedly. Lucas opened his mouth to reply but, on closer inspection, he saw that she held her phone tightly to her ear. Judging by her mannerisms, she was talking to Jessica. Lucas couldn't hear what Jessica was saying so he focused on the side of the conversation he could hear:

"What? The babysitter's sick? Oh no, that's terrible! Wait, you're not going to cancel that night out, are you?"

"We'll do it! Lucas and I can babysit! You guys deserve some time alone. Besides how much havoc can an extraordinarily advanced toddler create?"

"Don't be silly! We'll be fine! We'll pick her up this afternoon, Jess. Okay, bye!" Gina hung up and turned to face Lucas, whose expression was terrified. "What's wrong with you?"

"P-Please tell me you didn't just say we'd babysit Tori?" Lucas asked in a voice that made it clear he already knew the answer. Gina frowned and nodded, not seeing why Lucas was getting so worked up.

"Come on, we'd better go and pick her up," she muttered, grabbing her car keys and heading out the door. Lucas shook his head and followed her, hoping that Gina knew what she was getting them into.

At the Tripp's house, they were greeted by a cry of, "Auntie Gina, Uncle Wucas! You're here!" The unmistakable sound of toddler footsteps could be heard as a small blonde girl ran towards them. Gina lifted her up and smiled.

"My, haven't you grown?" She asked the wriggling toddler, setting her down on the ground. Tori nodded her head proudly, bouncing up and down excitedly. Gina wondered where she got all her energy from.

"Hello Uncle Wucas." Tori greeted, turning to Lucas and fixing him with an adorable smile that only toddlers could pull off. Lucas chuckled quietly to himself. Despite Tori being what Gina called "an extraordinarily advanced toddler," she still made cute little mistakes when she spoke, like most toddlers. Unlike the others, however, Tori could already comprise simple sentences, not that many made sense!

"Tori!" All three of them jumped and turned around to see Toby giving them a stern look. "How many times have I told you not to go running out the door like that? What if it wasn't Lucas and Gina, what if it was a bad person who took you away? You'd never see-"

"Geez, Toby, relax, she's fine!" Lucas laughed, amused. Toby was worse than a mare with her first foal (now that was an experience Lucas really wished he could forget). In other words, he was extremely overprotective which, at times like this, was highly amusing but could probably end up being really annoying.

Tori ran to Toby who scooped her up and carried her inside, calling over his shoulder, "Well, don't just stand there like lost lemons, come in!" Lucas and Gina hastily obeyed, stepping over the array of baby toys on the floor.

Jessica entered the room and made a beeline for them, carrying two mugs of coffee "Sorry about everything being so last-minute," she said apologetically. "You guys are great for doing this! Hey, when you have kids, I prom-"

Lucas interrupted her by suddenly coughing and choking on his coffee. The choking/coughing fit lasted for about ten minutes before he managed to get control of himself.

Toby and Jessica frowned. Something about this was bothering Lucas but what could it possibly be? Jessica nudged her husband and discreetly pointed at Lucas, mouthing "Talk to him," before dragging Gina out the door, saying something about baby seats.

Toby sighed and approached his friend. "You okay?"

Lucas jumped, "Y-Yeah, why?"

"Seriously, Lucas," Toby began. "If you really don't want to babysit, I underst-"

"It's not that!" Lucas began. "It's - never mind, you'll think I'm stupid!"

Toby's reply was simple. "Try me."

Lucas sighed and sat down, "Well, I want to be a father one day but now is just too early for me. I can't be a parent now! I didn't even remember how old Tori was! They grow up too fast and it scares me! What am I going to do?"

Toby was confused. As far as he knew, Gina wasn't pregnant; it probably would have been the first thing she'd announce to them if that was the case. All of a sudden, it hit him, "You're worried that if Gina spends time with Tori, it'll make her broody?" When Lucas nodded in reply, Toby gave him a sympathetic look. "Why didn't you say something then?"

"Because it would have crushed her." Lucas replied quietly. Toby clapped a hand on his shoulder and stood up, facing him. "Besides, it's alright for you; you're a natural at this and you don't worry about anything.

"I don't worry about anything?" Toby began incredulously. "You're kidding, right? I worry about everything now; occupational hazard of being a father, you know." He started pacing whilst he spoke and Lucas noticed that Tori had definitely inherited her father's inability to stay still. "When I found out Jessica was pregnant and there was a chance the baby might actually make it to full term, I was terrified. Scared of potentially losing them both but a tiny part of me was also scared of embracing the responsibility that came with parenthood. Of course, that flew straight out the window once I'd held her. I knew at that moment that I wouldn't be a perfect father but I was going to be the best one I possibly could. When you have a daughter, you see, you'd do anything just to keep them happy and safe. One day, you'll understand."

Lucas felt awful. He was panicking over potentially being a father when he had nothing to worry about. He nodded numbly in response and they both stood as Jessica and Gina came back into the room.

"We're ready to go!" Gina smiled at him. He stood up, waved to Jessica and Toby and they both walked to their car where Tori was already strapped in, bouncing impatiently. "Bye, guys, have a great time! Tori'll be alright with us, won't you?" The little girl nodded her head enthusiastically, causing the adults to laugh at her earnest expression.

As they drove back to their house, Tori sat back in her seat. This was going to be the best fun ever! No parents to tell her "No." It would be great.

"Well, we're here!" Gina called out, as she and Lucas got out the car. She walked round the back and unfastened Tori from the baby seat, lifting her out and setting her down on the ground. The little girl looked at her curiously, blue eyes glowing brightly with the inquisitiveness only children seemed to possess. "Go on!" Gina said kindly, and with that, Tori raced into the house as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

"Are you sure about this?" Lucas asked, earning himself a quizzical look, courtesy of Gina. "After all, she is Toby's daughter; who knows what sort of mischief she'll get into."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Gina replied calmly. "All we have to do is keep our heads. Everything will be fine, you'll see..."

Hours later

"Oh no, where is she? Lucas, what are we going to do? We've lost her!" Gina panicked, rushing around the house and yelling Tori's name.

"Calm down, Gina. We don't even know if we have lost her yet." Lucas said, trying to calm his panicking wife.

"But we've looked everywhere! Where else could she be?" Gina started to sob and Lucas started towards her. "I'm a terrible babysitter; how can I look after a child of my own when I can't even look after my own goddaughter for a few hours?"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Lucas stood up and walked toward the hallway. "I'll get it," he said, stepping over a stuffed bunny toy. "It's probably Toby and Jessica here to pick up Tori." He opened the door and Toby and Jessica piled in. "Look, now before you panic or anything, I can totally explain!"

"Explain what?" They said together, giving Lucas the patented glare that meant "if you don't tell us what's going on, then you will suffer our wrath!" Lucas shuddered under their gaze; their combined glares downright freaked him out.

"Well, you see, the thing is, we've kind of lo-"

"Mommy! Daddy!" A high pitched cry sounded as Tori whizzed through the kitchen door like an arrow, almost knocking Lucas off his feet, and jumping straight into Toby's arms. "Uncle Wucas and Auntie Gina are really bad at hide and seek. They couldn't find me at all!" She giggled, before letting out a huge yawn. It seemed that spending the whole day hidden had worn her out because, seconds later, she had fallen asleep.

Gina entered the hallway and in hushed voices, they both explained to Jessica what had happened. Once it had become clear to all of them what had been going on, they all started laughing, only stopping when Toby hissed, "Keep it down! Tori's asleep!"

Lucas laughed, "Whatever you say, Mother Goose," which created a fresh round of laughter.

After Jessica and Toby, who was carrying a sleeping Tori, left, Lucas turned and hugged Gina. "I want kids one day, just not right now. I just don't think I'll be ready ,but in a year or so, maybe?"

The look Gina gave him was filled with relief. "Thank goodness! I'm not ready yet either! I thought I was, until we had to babysit Tori. Maybe a year or two will help us harness our parenting skills."

"Well, to be fair, Tori is her father's daughter. Even they can't handle her sometimes!" Lucas told her, making a promise that when he did have a child, he would be the best father he could possibly be.

Approximately 1 year later

It was on January 22, 2020 that Louise Charlotte Wanson was born. Lucas had been terrified as the labour had been premature. The look of utter relief on his face when the midwife told him that both mother and baby were doing well was clear to everyone.

The moment he held Louise in his arms, Lucas understood what Toby meant. Being a parent was the best feeling; he had someone to look up to him. She relied upon him for protection.

"I'll do my best. I'll protect you both." He told his wife and newborn daughter. "I'll be the best I can for you."


End file.
